Fun Facts About Automotive History

We can all agree that automobiles are amazing, whether or not you are a fervent car enthusiast. It is impossible to know everything there is to know about cars unless you work in the industry, but even professionals might be short on fun facts.

Fun Facts About Automotive History:

1. Mary Anderson, a woman, invented windshield wipers.

Mary Anderson came up with windshield wipers in 1905 to make driving in the rain or snow easier. Drivers had to repeatedly get out of their vehicles and manually wipe the windshield before windshield wipers were invented.

2. Over 50 years ago, antilock brakes were first developed.

In the 1920s, antilock brakes were invented, and in the 1990s, their popularity increased. The antilock braking system, or ABS, is present in the majority of modern automobiles. 

3. In 1832, the first electric car was made.

In 1832, Robert Anderson developed the first vehicle powered by electricity. The EV1, also known as the first mass-produced electric car, was then manufactured by General Motors in the 1990s. In order to lessen their impact on the environment, many drivers today are opting to purchase an electric vehicle.

4. The first automobile race in the world took place in 1895, with a  24 KMH winning speed.

Since 1895, a lot has changed, and fortunately, cars can move much faster than 24. It would take a long time to get around if cars could still only go 24 kmh.

5. In 1905, brake lights were invented.

Before brake lights were invented, many drivers used hand signals to tell others where they were going. This was a problem at night because it was hard to see hand signals in the dark. As an essential safety feature, brake lights are now a vehicle requirement!

6. Bertha Benz took the first road trip that was recorded in August of 1888.

Bertha Benz and her two sons traveled by car from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany, with Karl Benz, the inventor of the first practical automobile. The first long-distance road trip ever recorded, the 106 kilometres journey took approximately 7 hours to complete.

7. Ralph Teetor, the man who came up with cruise control, was blind.

When Ralph Teetor was five years old, he was in an accident that left him blind. His curiosity never wavered despite the accident! In the end, he set out to develop a device that could maintain constant vehicle speed to save fuel. Speedostat was the name given to the initial mechanism for cruise control.

8. Drivers used a lever to control the car before the steering wheel was invented.

Alexander Winton, a man from Cleveland, Ohio (USA), came up with the idea for steering wheels. Winton is most well-known for his steering wheel, which he invented in 1896 and started a series of car-related inventions.

9. Chevrolet was the first company to offer car radios.

Chevrolet introduced the first car radio in 1922. It was something the government wanted to ban because it could be seen as a distraction, but the ban was not implemented. The majority of automobiles had radios by 1963.

10. In 1959, the first three-point seatbelt was made.

The three-point seatbelt that is now standard was first introduced to the Volvo Amazon 120 and PV 544 models. The development of seatbelts is credited to Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin. Additionally, as a safety feature, this three-point seatbelt was required to be installed in all automobiles by 1968.